The Franco Law Firm, PC

The Franco Law Firm, PC is a boutique practice founded by me, a Native American female attorney.  Being Apache really doesn't have much to do with my ability to represent you, but my heritage has exposed me to people in all walks of life, and given me a "never give up" and "finish what you started" attitude. My humble upbringing has given me the ability to talk with anyone without a care about what race or gender they are, their sexual orientation, or what their financial demographics are. Several friend joked that I can tune up my own car and time the engine, and after I'm done, I put on high heels and attend a gala.

During his childhood, my father lived in a home with a dirt floor, with no electricity or running water in Roswell, New Mexico.  It was made of adobe bricks that my grandpa and Great Uncle Tony Lucero made with their own hands. It wasn't because it was "cool" to live in a handmade adobe house, earth was what they had, and all they could afford to have, so they used it to build their homes. My grandparents were not allowed to shop in stores or see movies in a theater (even in a balcony), so they made the best of what life gave them.  My grandpa hunted deer with a bow and arrow, he also trout fished to provide food. In turn, my Pop was truly an ace fly fisherman, and he taught me how to undo the wind knots I made all over my fishing line after I sloshed the stream into a froth with my casting.  As an adult, my father, the literal genius, engineered destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, and auxiliary submarine rescue vessels for the US Navy. This was his career for 34 years, along with his 10 years with the US Army.

I was born in Long Beach, CA., I completed my undergraduate studies in Advertising at Loyola Marymount University in 1988.  After I graduated, I took 4 years away from being full time student and worked in Corporate America while attending night classes at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA. I love photography and its a great place to study.  My end goal since I was about 6 however, was to be an attorney, (I was an academic nerd in school) so I decided to study law where it all happens, in Washington, DC.  I attended American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC.  I graduated in 1995 earning my juris doctor degree, but homesick for California, I returned to the west coast in 1996 and after a little bout with some pesky cancer, was admitted to the California Bar in 1997. Having practiced Federal Indian Law, juvenile dependency, civil and corporate law, I chose to dedicate my practice to cases involving real people, helping them find resolution in their legal situations with dignity.

In the State of California, only 0.03% of attorneys are Native American.  I am very proud to be a part of that 0.03%. And before you ask, I did not gain admission through Affirmative Action Programs, I didn't go to law school for free because of my status as a Native American, and no, contrary to popular belief, we do not get checks from the US Government because our heritage and we don't get to go to college and law school anywhere we want for free. (It would have been really nice if that was the case, it would have saved me 27 long years of paying those student loans back!)